BLUE SUN RISING
by silk1
Summary: Picks up where WHAT JUST HAPPENED left off...also see Title! Chapter 8 is up!
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: Firefly belongs to Joss Whedon !!! I grovel at his feet in awe of his genius!

NOTES: Sooo back again for take 2! If you haven´t read "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?"  you might want to because otherwise some things in this story will not make sense to you. SORRY!!!! This story takes up about two weeks after WJH! Hope you´ll enjoy it as much as my first!!!

PROLOGUE

CUSP

_Hänsel__ and Gretel walking through the woods_

_The woods were dark and cold, so very cold_

_They came across a cabin build from gingerbread_

_Who could the master of that estate be?_

The old nursery rhyme repeated in River´s head over and over again, sung by her own voice. But they weren´t walking through the woods. They were lost in a cave. River could feel the rough stone under her searching hands, even if she couldn´t see anything. The darkness was complete, enveloping her like a thick blanket. It was cold though, very cold and drafty. The rough stone hurt her hands and bare feet. Her feet were getting numb from the cold.

She wasn´t singing the old nursery rhyme…..the other thing was as they stumbled through the darkness together. It took a hold of her hand as they turned around a corner and there seemed the be a light at the far end of the cave. As they approached the exit River looked down to find herself dressed in a black dress made for a girl considerably smaller than she was ……a dress for a child. A dress with a white ruffled apron and a cape with a hood ……a red velvet cape.

Little red riding hood …..and yet,  as she looked at her feet she could see that they were following a trail made of tiny crumbs of bread. So the other thing had progressed to browsing the memories of fairy tales in River´s mind ……..only that it had them all mixed up, combining several elements of different tales because it didn´t quite comprehend their meaning.

She turned her head to look at the other thing, singing and holding her hand. It was as though looking into a mirror and yet ……it wasn´t her.

" Look….." It lifted its arm to point at the sky now that they had safely stepped out of the cave. The light should have been blinding, but it wasn´t. There was no warmth. They stood on a cliff overlooking miles and miles of grey desert.

" Where did the ocean go?" River asked, staring up at the dark blue sun that hung in the sky like an evil cloud.

"They took it away……just like Christmas……" her mirror image whispered, squeezing her hand tighter.

" Look, little sister ……you need to open your eyes and see …….for me …..for us."

River´s gaze followed the other thing´s gesture to the horizon. On the horizon one could barely see the ruins of a city stretching skywards above the desert sand.

" Like locusts they are ……all brothers and sisters…….making nothing out of everything. They will come for us, little sister. Maybe not today or tomorrow …….but they will come. They will need to know about us ……what we´ve become."

" I know ….." River sighed, dimly aware that all this was just a dream……

" They don´t want the house or the city …….they want ….."

"….. the whole ´verse." River finished, pulling the hood from her head as she let the red cape slide to the floor.

"You decide our fate, little sister and when they come you will have to decide……"

The other thing mimicked her movement, then took her other hand into hers, squeezing both of then so tightly it hurt.

" …whether you want to be no one´s master or their slave….."

River awoke with a gasp, jerking upright so abruptly that she fell out of bed with a thud.

" Ouch …."

" River ….?"

Jayne´s voice was heavy with sleep. He sat up, looking down on her with a bemused expression as he saw her sitting on the floor next to the bed.

" What the gorram´ hell you doin´girl?"

River frowned, having half a mind to tell him that he had pushed her off the narrow bed in his sleep, but then thought the better of it.

" Another one of those ruddin´dreams?" She nodded, crawling back into bed. Her heart was still racing when she rested her head on his chest. Soon enough she felt the familiar movement of his hand raking through her tangled hair.

" She´s trying to tell me something….."

" Well if she got something to say, she´d better ruddin´come out with it!"

River shrugged.

" Somehow I think she doesn´t know how….."


	2. Sticks and Stones

DISCLAIMER:  I OWN ZIP …….Joss owns all! Thanks for putting Adam in " Angel" though ……I loved seeing that!! 

NOTES: Thanks to all you who read! Thanks for telling me again that you enjoyed WHAT JUST HAPPENED! THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!

This is the set up and a little bit of humor! Next up is a little more Mal/ Inara ….and more revelations. PLEASE Y`ALL watch the laste few eps of Angel so that WB will give us at least TV movies !!! PLEASE!!!

Also …as I mentioned before I am not a native speaker, so please forgive me if sometimes a few spelling errors slip by me!! Sorry!!´

Oh and do yourselves a favour and read Neroli´s brilliant story River Delta!!!

 To Miss Malfoy …I´d love a beta!! I feel so honoured…as you noticed html is not my thing! Mail me , okay??

Chaos: Michael Turner rocks ..so do the unaired three eps!!!!

Sticks and Stones

„ Badger said this kinda thing would be right up your alley, but my boss wanted to be sure, ya know? Wanted me to talk things over in person, that´s just the kinda person he is, right? 

Sure ya understand!"

Malcolm Reynolds took another sip of his drink, nodding towards Badger´s  contact, a wiry little man called Rhys. To him the negotiator whom they had met on a dusty little outpost called Sweetwater, looked like a human cross between a hyena, a toad and a weasel. Sweetwater was basically a trading town for miners and consisted mainly of a few ramshackle buildings on both sides of the only street. It was a good place to stay off alliance radar …..but that was about the only positive aspect of their little venture. They had been waiting ten hours before Rhys showed up …and there wasn´t much to around the outpost. As it was they had had no choice but to wait for Badger´s  contact to show up and the only place to wait around Sweetwater was the dingy bar they had been hangin´ round for the last few hours. The only bar in a radius of more than two hundred square miles………

If they didn´t need the job so bad, Mal would have just left. Now that he knew about the job, Mal couldn´t help but be intrigued. He had chosen a table from which he could overlook pretty much the whole place, he could see who came and went and still keep an eye on the barkeeper. He turned his attention back to Rhys.

"Sure,  I can understand that. A man wants to know whom he trusts with an endeavour like this, much like his money."

Rhys nodded at him, giving Serenity´s captain another once over look.

" Well …..you and your folks sure do come highly recommended. I mean……Badger said you´d be having some experience with this kinda thing, ya know?"

Mal smiled, taking another sip from his drink. Highly recommended….that certainly was a new one! Badger must be desperate! It didn´t surprise Malcolm Reynolds much now that he knew how considerable the amount of money was Rhys´ boss was willing to pay.

"Well …me and my crew have been known to occasionally being party to some redistribution of wealth." He answered.

Badger´s contact gave him a blank stare, the greasy smile that was constantly fixed to his face waning a little. Mal inwardly rolled his eyes.

"Or petty theft…… as some of my associates call it!"

"Oh ….yes. Got a little confused there, ya know? So you can get it?"

Mal nodded again. "Yes, I believe we can acquire the objects your boss likes to get his hands on. If the money´s right I believe we can acquire pretty much anything as long as your boss is willing to pay thirty percent of the fee upfront."

" Not a problem Captain…..but ……if you don´t mind my askin´ once again, just to be on the sure side of things, ya know? You sure you can get by that security system I pointed out to you? It´s a pretty nifty system, ya think the lot of you can handle that?"

Mal let his eyes skim over the room, resting for a moment on Kaylee and River who sat at a small table in a corner. River was wearing an oversized cardigan that hung off one shoulder and a purple skirt that didn´t cover the lower part of her legs. It looked a little weird with the heavy boots she was wearing, but Mal knew that Jayne liked it none the less. It made the girl look like a dishevelled fairy that had gotten confused and dressed in a hurry. Kaylee had abandoned her mechanics suit in favour of a dress with a peculiar flower pattern. The dress made her look younger and she wore her hair up in a neat bun. Mal grinned as he caught the doctor stealing a glance at Kaylee´s legs over the book he was reading a few tables away. The two girls were immersed in a quiet conversation, giggling now and then as though they didn´t have a care in the world.

"Tell your boss we got that covered just fine." He told the other man before shaking his hand, sealing the deal. Mal was pretty sure that the system those two couldn´t break down together probably hadn´t been built yet.

Simon took another sip from his drink. The sour taste made him squeeze his eyes shut. The young doctor was quite sure that he didn´t even want to know what kind of poison he was just forcing his body to ingest.

" Aw, C´mon  doc, it´s not that bad!"  Jayne said, clapping him on the shoulder several times. The force of Jayne´s well meaning claps almost made Simon spill his drink. The mercenary took of his hat, sat down and put his feet up on the table. He took the doctor´s half empty glass and downed it in one swig.Simon lifted a warning brow at him.

" How can you drink this stuff and actually enjoy it?"

Jayne grinned, shrugging his massive shoulders as he scanned the room. His eyes fixed on River who didn´t seem to notice. She was busy listening to Kaylee.

" I only wish he´d just mellow a lil´bit, ya´ know! We was so close to getting´ better acquainted…..if you know what I mean, but then your brother just goes all stiff…"

Kaylee complained to River, keeping her voice down to make sure that nobody could overhear them. Giving River another frustrated look, Kaylee emptied her glass.

River Tam gave her friend a small smile, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. She was dimly aware of the Captain and Jayne looking at them across the room.

" My brother likes you, Kaylee." She whispered, finishing her own drink. 

" He likes you very much. Simon just isn´t as ….happy….. adapting to this kind of life as I have turned out to be. He hasn´t found his place in this yet. Once he does…things will be different."

Kaylee nodded, catching Mal´s look. She frowned.

" What´s Jayne and the Cap´n looking at us like that for?"

Rive rubbed her forehead, trying to tone out Mal´s impatience that was radiating from the captain like a constant buzzing sound, an annoying background noise that gave her a headache.

" He doesn´t like the conversation he´s in. He just wants to get the job and get out of here." 

" I don´t like this place!" Simon told Jayne, watching the mercenary lighting one of his big cigars. His eyes wandered across the room, where Kaylee and River where sitting in a corner, immersed in whispering conversation. Simon couldn´t say why, but something about it bothered him. He risked another look at Jayne who was leaning back in his chair. It still was beyond him why and how his little sister would entertain a relationship to a man like this, but since he couldn´t change it and seeing how the situation wasn´t bound to change in the near future……..

" Does make you nervous sometimes…..seeing  the two of them all cosy like that whispering and  laughing?  For all we know those two could be plotting how to take over the  whole universe……."

"And there wouldn´t be a gorram´ thing we could do ´bout it!" Jayne answered, following Simon´s gaze. 

 " What worries me even more than that is the fact that our womenfolk is the only up´n about ´round here." Jayne told him, still keeping a watchful eye on the door.

" Yes …I noticed that myself."

Jayne´s eyes followed River as she made a beeline for the bar, holding Kaylee´s and her own empty glass in one hand. Mal had been very strict on one thing; no liquor for either Kaylee or River …..so in Sweetwater that didn´t leave many other options. Jayne figured that they had to be drinking that disgustingly sweet juice the populace of Sweetwater extracted from the fruits of the native cactus……once you mixed it with enough water it was even drinkable.

River´s approach turned quite a few miner's heads but she paid it no heed.

" S´cuse me doctor….." Jayne said, putting his cigar out. "Looks like I might have to take care of sumthin……"

River had her back turned and the other thing conveniently toned out for once, so she didn´t  notice the hand that was slowly reaching out; thick, hard fingers hovering just inches above the unruly mass of her shimmering, lavender scented hair while she was waiting for the barkeeper to refill their glasses.What she heard was a muffled yelp as another, bigger hand closed around the miner´s wrist like an iron vice.

" I wouldn´t do that if I were you!"

She turned to find Jayne behind her, his hand firmly around another man´s wrist as several other miners drew nearer in order to not miss a thing.

" Will y´all look at that? Big oaf come to save the lil´damsel in distress!" The miner gave a hearty laugh, revealing a mouth in the middle of his bushy black beard that was missing several teeth. 

River shot Jayne a warning look who just rolled his eyes at her, letting go of the other man´s wrist. He demonstratively wiped his hand on his pants, shaking his head with a wide grin.

" Naw …….she ain´t got no ruddin´ use for me when it comes to dealin´ with the likes of you! Lil´ lady can  ruddin´well take care of herself."

His words elicited another round of laughter from the miners who were eyeing River and even Kaylee over at her table like two tasty morsels.

" That so?"

Jayne shrugged at Simon who had risen from his chair, putting his book down on the table.

"Doesn't mean I´ll have to sit back and watch while you put your gorram´ hands where they sure as hell don't belong, now does it? Even if that means I´ll get a ruddin´ earful ´bout my interferin´ later!" The mercenary added with a smirk while River shot Kaylee an exasperated look. 

" Well if that's so …..you gotta see our side of the coin, friend….." another miner spoke up.

 " You´ve been hangin´ round our joint all day. We don´t get to see womenfolk like that too often out here."

" Yeah …..can´t see why!" Jayne answered. " See now …we´re both men so I´m gonna say this in a way that y´ all can understand where the gorram´ hell I´m coming from. I wouldn´t let your filthy fingers fondle my gun, so what makes you think I´d let you lay a hand on my girl?"

"Alright …then what ´ bout that one over there?" The first miner said, pointing his dirty finger at Kaylee who was coming towards them with Simon in tow. 

"What ´bout me?" she asked, looking at River´s disbelieving face.

"She´s a pretty one! Little more flesh on them bones I´d say!" the second miner cut in as the others nodded in enthusiastic approval.

Jayne arched an eyebrow at them, his face taking on a serious expression.

"You'd all better not even think about laying your filthy paw on that one either, ya hear me?"

"Oh c'mon …..you can't be the boss of all the tail that comes through that door!"

"Gorrammit…they're both with me! So you'd better ruddin´…."

"They're with you? What's that supposed to mean, ha? You really expect us to believe that every piece of tail is yours? You're old enough to be that one's father!"

Simon turned away, trying not to start laughing at Jayne's expression as the bearded miner pointed at River. Even Kaylee had to suppress a laugh.

"Aw…C´mon!" she interceded with a bright smile. "He's not that old!"

"What?" Jayne yelled at her. River patted his arm, holding back a giggle.

"She's right Jayne …you're not old enough to be my father."

"Well you are quite a few years older than her, but more in an older brother kinda way."

"Yeah…." River nodded at Kaylee.

"Excuse me?" Simon asked them with a bewildered expression. "I´ll have you know that your relationship to him is nothing like the relationship we have! Don´t ever say that!"

"Will you just cut it out, gorrammit?"

The miner's just stared at the four of them.

"So if she´s with the old one……"the second minor started.

"Hey!"

"Which one´s with the fancy one?"

"He's with no one!" River said, throwing her hands up with an exasperated look.

"What kind of twisted relationships do you folks have?"

"That's what I'd like to know!" Kaylee mumbled.

"We miss something?" Zoë asked Kaylee with a befuddled smile as she and her husband joined the group.

"Oh …one of them miners was mistaking River for a whore and Jayne set him straight. Then he mistook me for a whore and called Jayne old and I think things went downhill from there!"

"HEY!" They all turned around to Malcolm Reynolds who was looking at them with both brows arched, his arms crossed in front of his chest. 

"We are leaving NOW!"

"Shiny …..this is just shiny!" Mal yelled as they all trooped back to Serenity. 

"Why can´t things ever go smooth? Why do you have to start a ruckus every time we set foot on a planet? Even on this backwater outpost you can´t spend ten hours without causing a riot?"

At least he didn't have to worry about the preacher and Inara who had stayed aboard Serenity.

"Well it wasn't really our fault now, Cap´n!" Kaylee told him with a frown.

"Did we get the job?"

"We got the job!" He turned around to face his crew before they entered the cargo bay, looking at them with a grim expression.

"When I told you all that we needed to keep a low profile after that Niska thing…..were  any of you actually listening while my lips were moving?"


	3. Sword and Dagger

Disclaimer: I own nothing, Joss owns all …..

NOTES: Thanks again to all the kind reviewers….you make my day!!! I would not be writing any of this if it weren´t for you!

Sooo this chapter incorporates quite a bit of stuff I needed to squeeze in for later reference ……hope you´ll like it anyway. There´s a bit Inara and Mal fluff and there will be more in the next chapter!

SWORD AND DAGGER

„ It´s a set!" Mal explained as they were all assembled around the kitchen table, staring at the holographic image of their future booty.

" Look at it!" Kaylee exclaimed with a smile, adjusting the mechanism to enhance the image.

" It´s so  pretty ……I don´t think we´ve ever gone to steal anything  so pretty!"

" Pretty?" Wash cut in, looking around the table.

"How can you say that …..I mean…..it´s a really big, long sword. How can something be pretty that you can use to cut off someone´s hand or head or some other body part you don´t wanna part with?"

"Looks kinda old!" Jayne interjected, shrugging his shoulders. 

"It´s Japanese." Book told them quietly. The crew looked up in surprise.

"How do you know that, preacher?" Zoë asked, giving him an interested look.

" I´ve seen objects like these before. It is a Japanese Samurai sword……it was considered an antique even back on earth that was. The sword and the dagger do indeed form a set, they belong together."

Simon nodded in assent, his eyes still fixed on the image. "Book is right, I´ve seen swords like these before. A friend of our family collected antiques, he had a sword like this …and an armour too, I think. Do you remember Mei- Mei?"

" So they´re really old which means very valuable, right?" Jayne said with a grin.

" Already startin´ to like this ruddin´ job."

"I think there might be more to it than this, Captain." Book continued, leaning forward to inspect the image more closely. "I might be mistaken, but I believe this set is indeed a special one."

" How so?"

" Well…..most samurai swords were unique, you will not find two that are exactly the same, but if I remember correctly this set is unique in more than one way."

"There´s something etched into the hilts……an inscription and a dragon, one black and one gold." River said, her voice taking on that eerie sound that never failed to raise the hairs on her brother´s neck.

 "I believe it is the legend attached to this set that makes it somewhat famous." Book added.

"See ….not just pretty, but famous too!" Kaylee told Wash with a grin.

" Yeah ….but that might also mean that its current owner might be even more reluctant to part with it." Mal shot Jayne a frowning look, pondering the implications of the information Book 

had just imparted to them.

"Harder to steal, you mean?" 

"Tell us ´bout the legend, Book. I love a good story!" Kaylee pleaded. The preacher chuckled, crossing his arms.

" Well ……if I remember all the facts correctly the sword and dagger belonged to a very influential family a long, long time ago, back on earth that was. It was passed along from father to son. The last heir to wield the sword was a man named Hiroshi Zylin Tagava, a general who was caught in the middle of a power struggle over supremacy in his country. He was ambushed and killed by his enemies. Their leader took Hiroshi´s sword, but could not find the dagger anywhere on the body because the general had given it to his mistress."

" Knew there´d be romance in this story!" Kaylee said with a smile. Mal arched an eyebrow at her while the preacher sighed apologetically. 

" I do not know if the generel´s wife would agree with you, Kaylee. She was pregnant with his first child. The legend goes that Hiroshi gave the dagger to his mistress as a token, a symbol of his loyalty and trust. "

"Couldn´t give her anything else, ha? Havin´a wife and all…." Jayne ground out, his eyes sweeping over River´s back. She was still leaning over the table, inspecting the image closely. Strangely enough this was a gesture he could understand, even appreciate. Simon just looked at the mercenary shaking his head.

 "As a sign of her own devotion the mistress had the same dragons you see on the hilt tattooed on her body." Book continued unperturbed.

River turned to look at Kaylee, in the split second it took her to blink River caught a glimpse of an entirely different image in front of her inner eye: 

The long, graceful line of a woman´s neck, jade- green silk sliding down over white skin that  shone in the flickering light of a fire like mother of pearl…….. the smooth expanse of the woman´s back serving as a canopy for a breathtaking picture of vibrant colours:

The tattoo of two dragons entwined in play as they chased after a ball of fire……

River squeezed her eyes together; the flash was gone as fast as it had appeared. She shook her head, half expecting to find everyone staring at her, but nobody seemed to have noticed.

" Well….famous or not, lil´ Kaylee, we took the job so we´re gonna steal it." Malcolm Reynolds said, straightening himself as he gave the preacher an interested look. "I hate to repeat Jayne here, preacher, but one day you will have to tell us how a man like you knows so damn much about …..pretty much anything."

"I seem to have picked up a lot of information on my travels, Captain."

"Well ain´t that shiny?" Mal returned ironically, switching of the gadget that had projected the image of their target. "Wash …..I want you to set a course for Thalia. Kaylee, I´ll need you and River to look at some schematics of that oh so very nifty security system badger´s contact kept gopin´on about.."

" Sure Cap´n , but after that me and River will listen to the rest of Book´s story!" Kaylee told him, crossing her arms under her chest. Her eyes followed Simon´s retreating back as he made his way back to the lab. "Lord knows I can use some romance in my life!" the pretty mechanic mumbled under her breath.

„ You came for he wrong woman." She said, bowing her head in graceful gesture that seemed almost demure. Straight black hair, shining in the sun, flowed over her shoulders down to her waist like a river of darkness. She didn´t flinch from his stare or from the bright sunlight reflected by lacquered armour and drawn swords. She just sat there, on her knees, the very example of poise and female perfection, her pale hands folded in her lap, almost hidden by the wide arms of the kimono. Her expression was calm and composed, not betraying any fear, her face bare of make up…..her skin white and flawless like fresh snow.

" What makes you say that?" The man towering over her was tall, his armour black and his voice had an impatient edge to it making it even more cruel.

"I am the mistress, Lord Yao, not the wife …as you very well know!" she answered simply, her voice was light, pleasant like a warm breeze. 

"Whatever you have planned for me will make him angry, but it will have no influence on his judgement, his decisions. My death will not elicit any harsh reactions or irrational behaviour from him. As I said, I am not the wife. I am merely the mistress ……I can be replaced."

The man laughed. 

"Many men have envied Hiroshi the attentions of such a talented entertainer such as you I´ve heard. Somehow I think you might be a woman that is hard to replace, Kimiko. And you think he wouldn´t care if I cut off your pretty head?"

" I do not think he would appreciate such a gesture, but in time my lord will find another to tend to his needs. My death will be an acceptable sacrifice in this conflict."

He laughed again. She had not moved an inch, still sat there on her knees in complete immobility, graceful and cold like a statue.

"What makes you think that I will not move on to the wife, once I have finished with the general´s  whore?"

The woman lifted her head just enough to look directly into his eyes. His insult did not seem to have any impact on her.

"I doubt that you would ever come close enough to the lady Kitami to even catch a glimpse of her raven hair or her lily white feet. We both know that."

An evil smile split the man´s face as he sheathed his sword. Reaching behind his back he pulled another elegant blade from its sheath, holding it out to the woman.

"You recognize this?" he asked, his voice low.

She made no sound. She did not move. She was still……not a muscle in her face twitched as she looked at the sword. Her face was a pale, unmoving mask that betrayed no emotion ….even though at that moment the woman´s heart had turned to stone.

" Yes." She answered, her voice never wavering, still as light and pleasant as the breeze.

" Then you understand."

" The only way for you to have my lord´s sword is to have killed him. Since I know you could not have defeated him in combat……..you must have laid a trap"

" Where is the wife?"

" Would you really sink so low, Lord Yao, as to kill a pregnant woman?" 

He chuckled, pointing the tip of the sword at her throat.

"If that child were born it could never grow up to become my ally and I cannot allow it to be raised as my enemy, so I will have to kill them both."

" I cannot allow that." The woman whispered. Inside the wide arm of her kimono her fingers caressed the dragon etched into the hilt of the hidden dagger.

River opened her eyes again, drawing a deep breath. The cabin was dark and silent, except for her breathing and the little snoring noises that Jayne sometimes elicited in his sleep. She felt the reassuring warmth and hardness of Jayne´s body spooning against her back.

Carefully she lifted his hand from her thigh and slipped out of bed.

" Shouldn´t you be in bed? I need you and lil´ Kaylee rested and sharp to break down that security system….."

River almost tripped down the stairs as she wandered into the kitchen. 

" Captain….." she whispered. "I didn´t see you there."

" Sorry, didn´t mean to scare ya´!" Mal said. He could tell from her frown that she was wondering why he was sitting in the dark kitchen  area all by himself, just as he was wondering why she was wandering the ship when she should be sleeping.

" I …..I wanted a tea. I had a strange dream." She finally said as though she had read his mind. Mal scowled at that thought …..she probably had done just that. He could never tell with the girl, never knew if her instincts where just so darn good or if she was messing around in his head. In her long white nightshift she almost looked like a ghost, standing there in the dark.

" Can´t sleep myself." Mal returned hoping that it would quell any questions about his being there. She nodded, looking at him for a moment.

" A dreamt of the sword and the dagger ……about the story Book told, you know. The legend. The story goes that after the general was murdered, his enemy stabbed the mistress with her own dagger, the dagger Hiroshi had given her. He had hidden his wife where he thought no one would ever look…..with his mistress. She pulled the blade from her own body to defend his wife against the men who had come to kill her."

Mal pursed his lips, trying to get a feel for what she was aiming at. She seemed to hesitate for a while before she spoke again.

"Funny isn´t it?"

Mal arched an eyebrow at her. Unless he had misunderstood the story completely, Malcolm Reynolds could not see anything close to funny about it.

"Don´t think I catch your drift there, River."

 "It´s funny …… the things people do for love…"


	4. Sand and Tide

_DISCLAIMER: _ALL belongs to the evil genius Joss Whedon whom I worship! 

_Notes:_ First, kudos to my brand new beta Miss Malfoy who has graciously volunteered to help me with the HTML so that y´all can have more fun reading this. (Guess it was _pretty obvious_ that I suck with this HTML thing!) Thank you, thank you for taking the time and pity on little old me!

Second yeah here goes the fluff aahhhh scene! Grrrr am actually blushing here. I might have gotten carried away, so if it's too cheesy, the wine and crackers are on me, folks! 

**_SAND AND TIDE_**

It seemed as though the words hung heavy in the silence between them. Neither River nor Mal moved. Serenity´s captain just stared at the girl. She returned his gaze, her eyes wide like a child´s. It struck Malcolm Reynolds as odd that lately he had started to analyze most of her words, looking for a hidden subtext or hint as though there were different layers to what she was saying. Right now the prevailing question was did she read his mind? Did she mean to tell him something specific? Mal had half a mind to tell her that it was none of her business, but looking at her he couldn´t make himself. When he looked at River Tam he saw the same thing he saw every time he looked at Kaylee: a sweet, pretty girl; some kind of innocence that needed to be protected from the cruelty of the world he had seen. They were his responsibility, his to protect. The fact that inside River´s mind dwelled a stone cold killer, an entity that didn´t even comprehend the concept of mercy didn´t factor into his perception of her most of the time. Neither did the fact that Kaylee was a clever, self-sufficient and able mechanic. They were young girls; they were part of his crew. They were his responsibility. He couldn´t find harsh words to say to River or Kaylee. They were not meant to being talked to in that way.

River tilted her head to the side in that peculiar way that made him wonder again if the girl was indeed picking up on his thoughts or emotions. She gave him a small smile. Finally Mal got up from his chair, stretching his arms over his head to relax the tense muscles in his back. "Not sure if I think it´s too funny... with the killing and all." Mal said at long last.

River shrugged, tugging dark strands of her long hair behind her ear. "I guess you're right, but it is true none the less."

"Not sure if I get what you mean, River."

"There is a lesson to be learned from this legend, don´t you think?"

Mal arched an eyebrow at her. He started to wish the preacher had never started with the whole thing to begin with. There was only one lesson Malcolm Reynolds could derive from that darn legend; if you let yourself get in too deep people got hurt, people let themselves be destroyed. Love would eventually end up getting you hurt.

But River didn´t seem to expect an answer from him anyway. "My brother taught me courage, even if he doesn´t know," she told him quietly. "He doesn´t think of himself as a valiant, and yet he took the risk rescuing me, becoming a fugitive. Ultimately of course he did it for love, for his only sister. But... the legend´s lesson; that you have to do everything in your power to protect the ones you love, no matter what the cost. That lesson... I learned from you." 

  
She gave him another small smile. "Thank you. Good night Captain."

  
Mal ´s eyes followed her slow retreat into the corridor with furrowed brows. For an instant another question popped up in his mind; if those were the things lil´ River Tam had learned from him and her brother... Mal couldn´t help but wonder what the girl had learned from Jayne. All kinds of nasty habits came to mind !  
Mal pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. Now that he thought about it, he was quite sure he didn´t really want to know...

It was a bad idea. Some part of Mal knew that. And he was starting to understand what had Jayne so aggravated about River sometimes.

_ "The gorram´ girl sees through you, Mal. No matter what you do can´t run from it or hide from her. Those ruttin´ dark eyes can see it all."_

The mercenary had been right. There was also no stopping the girl once she was talking about things, and when she was gone those things did not leave with her. On the contrary... they hung on to one's mind like ticks, tugging and insisting until one couldn´t help but mull over them. Jayne might have found a way to deal with that, as well he should; River being his girlfriend and all. _But why do I?_ Mal asked himself as his legs were still finding their way through the ship without any input whatsoever from his brain. He was the captain of this gorram ship! He did as he pleased! He did not need... Oh well .._there we are_. Mal gnawed on his lower lip, staring at the door to Inara´s shuttle as though it was the gate of Tartarus.

Inara was sitting on her couch, reclining against its back. It never ceased to amaze Mal how the companion achieved the effect of looking as though she was posing for a portrait without seeming pretentious. Inara never just sat anywhere; in her very own effortless graceful way she managed to be the embodiment of composure and elegance, no matter what she did.

Even the way she lifted her head at his entrance was a beautiful gesture. Her appearance was as striking as ever, her beauty undimmed by the subsiding bruises on one side of her face. The discolouration had changed from a pale purple and green to a pallid yellow. In a few days even that would be gone. Looking at her now, Malcolm Reynolds more than just understood Jayne´s urge to beat someone for splitting River´s lip. It made him want to wring Niska´s neck too bad the bastard was already dead. 

  
"You didn´t knock," the companion pointed out, her voice light and soft.

  
"Some things never change, I guess," Mal returned, shrugging as he looked around her luxuriant shuttle.

  
"I guess they don´t." she said with a sad smile, straightening out the fabric of her gown where it stretched over her legs. The movement had Mal mesmerized for a second. He tore his eyes away from her with an effort, inspecting three thick scented candles that were burning on a table to his right. He was here to do something, but he did not know how to go about it. Ever since that one night when they had kissed he had wanted to apologize to her. Still, even though the urge to talk to her had become a heavy weight that he carried around in his chest, Mal had to admit that he wasn´t really sure what he was to apologize for.

" You know.." he finally started, looking at where she sat on the couch, legs tucked under her. " .that new job of ours? Turns out to be pretty darn interesting. Did you know that our preacher knows quite a thing or two 'bout antiques?"

Inara looked at him searchingly, trying to discern his intent. No matter how long she waited or how long she tried, she would never really understand Malcolm Reynolds. It was one of the things that appealed to her. She´d never tell him that of course, but deep inside she knew that the challenge of understanding him would always be part of what called out to her. 

Mal pursed his lips as she returned his look with glittering, bright eyes. "Could give us a whole lot more history on our target than I had a mind of hearing, I can tell you. Almost had lil´ Kaylee swooning over the legend thing with the sword and the concubine. I bet you Simon won´t have a good night´s sleep, now that according to that legend a dagger is a to be considered an appropriately romantic gift. The doctor´s gonna have nightmares of Jayne presenting his baby sister with a knife as long as her arm." He frowned. "Come to think about it, that´s an idea that´ll give me nightmares as well."

Inara blinked a few times, not sure if she had gotten all the information from Mal´s ramblings right. "A sword and a dagger?" she asked, watching the expression on his face change. "With an inscription in Japanese and a dragon etched into each hilt?" 

Mal raised an eyebrow at Inara. "You know it?"

The companion gave him an amused smile, almost as though he had said something hilarious, then she nodded her head. "Yes, I know it... the legend of the two-dragon blade."

"River said it was funny..things people are willing to do for love."

Inara´s eyes narrowed at that, just a tiny fraction. She felt the urge to take a deep breath, to calm herself. Suddenly she was at a loss. "I always thought so myself." She answered softly after a while, looking at her hands. "The concubine who gave her life for the wife she didn´t even know. She must have loved him very much. Not just more than her life..more than her pride. Loyal unto death." Inara looked up with an insecure smile. "Every companion knows the story of the general and his mistress."

Mal chuckled. "Should have known legends like this would be the lore of your profession." 

The words had left his mouth before he had even thought about it. The moment he realised what he had said, he cursed himself. The smile faltered on Inara´s lips, being replaced by the non-committal mask of control she wore whenever she tried to keep things from touching her.

"Why did you come here, Mal?" she asked him, her angry undertone barely controlled.

"I came to see how you are!"

"How did you think I am?" She threw the words back at him but she didn´t yell. She felt very much like beating on him right then. But as fast as the anger had came it dissolved, leaving her sad and resigned. "I have barely seen you in the past few days and now you just show up here in the middle of the night and ask me how I am? I am hurting. I hurt inside... how are you?"

He looked at her for the longest moment, trying to think of something clever or witty to say. But he knew that this time it wouldn´t suffice. This time it wouldn´t be enough. If it wouldn´t be the truth this time, they would probably never settle things. "I thought if we saw less of each other it would make things easier. We´d be okay."

Inara gave him a very unladylike snort. 

"It didn´t.." Inara slowly unfolded her legs. " And we aren´t.."

"I can see that."

"Can you?"

"It ." He took a deep breath, crossing his arms in front of his chest but still holding her gaze. "It didn´t make me feel for you any less. It didn´t make me want you any less," Mal ground out, his voice so low that his words were barely audible.

Inara stared at him, eyes wide. She wasn´t sure if she had heard him right, but her heart raced so fast that she could feel it pounding against her ribs like a trapped little bird. Had he really said it just then had she understood? Inara swallowed hard, rising from her seat in one liquid, graceful motion. He just stood there, a few feet away from her, transfixing her with his intent stare, but the schooled companion could read in his eyes now just as she had learned to read in the eyes of so many other man. It was part fear, part need.and for once it was a need that he was owning up to. Inara could understand this much. But there was another side to that need forcing its way up to the surface of her own emotion now; the need Inara had tried to push away for a long, long time. The need to draw the part of him, where he had stowed away all his hidden grief and pain over the defeat of the browncoats, out of him and replace it with something bettersomething bright and warm.

"It´s not too late, Mal." Inara whispered, bridging the distance between them, "...if we can just forgive each other and... forget. If we can just let go of everything that has us bound to our places. We could be okay..."

Mal couldn´t help but scowl. That was just it... he could not lose control. What if things went wrong...? They had before! Carefully he lifted a hand to run it through Inara´s hair, cautiously cupping her bruised cheek. It was all the invitation Inara needed to step into him until they stood flush against one another.  
It was the moment of truth, they both knew it. They both hated being vulnerable, yet here they were.

"You came for me." Inara whispered, looking up at him before his mouth closed over hers. It was a soft, tentative kiss at first that slowly turned into something much more taking and yearning. Mal´s arms closed around Inara´s slender form, pulling her closer, molding her body to his as she gave a little murmur of encouragement. Her scent enveloped him, the softness of her skin, the way she reciprocated all of his actions filled his senses and erased every attempt of conscious thought or doubt there might have been. They had both wanted this for so long that after a few moments all efforts of being soft or taking things slow were abandoned.

"Nobody can know.." Inara whispered as Mal started kissing her neck while her fingers were busy fumbling with the buttons of his shirt. His fingers dancing up and down her spine in the attempt to find a way to get rid of her dress other than tearing it apart with his bare hands.

"Shiney... none of their business anyway."


	5. Behind The Mirror

_DISCLAIMER_: Don't sue me, I own nothing you might want! Joss owns all …except for me! 

_NOTES_: Thanks for your nice reviews. Thanks also to my great beta Miss Malfoy! So… let the plot unfold (with a little side dish of more fluff!)

_**BEHIND THE MIRROR**_

River bit her lip, leaning against the wall with one hand. She tried to concentrate on the texture of the rough material, the cold metal under her fingers. She tried to focus on something else, anything… as another wave of nausea swept over her. Fighting down the increasing panic she felt, River squeezed her eyes shut. This was too-familiar ground. She remembered this sense of losing control.

The flash hit her like a violent blow, bringing her to her knees.

No visions, no movement ……just sound and sensation; a rapid series of impressions too hazy to hold on to them. A voice… soft and light like a breeze.

"I know my place. I am not the lady of your house. I can never be the mother of your children. I swear on my life, my love for you… no harm will come to her, who is all that I will never be."

…but those were not her words. River knew she had never spoken them…

Warm fingers closing her hand around the cool, sleek sheath of the dagger. His voice was dark, controlled like all of his actions.

"She will never be what you are to me. You were my mistress before family and duty brought me and her together as husband and wife."

"I know my place… in love and honour."

Jayne awoke with the sensation of something tickling his chin.

"Where you been?" he whispered roughly, realizing that it was River's crawling back into bed with him that must have woken him up. He could not really see her, but the slender body that huddled up to him in the dark was shaking like a leaf.

"River?" he mumbled, his voice still heavy with sleep. He threw one arm around her delicate shoulders, to pull her closer. The shivering didn't stop. Jayne pressed his lips together, ignoring the growing feeling of unease as he sat up to lean against the headboard. Suddenly he wished for that earful he was still expecting for the events at the bar.

"Gorramit girl, I can damn near hear your ruttin´ teeth rattle. What is it?"

He could feel her hair sliding across his chest and against his throat as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. She attentively moved two fingers over the scar on his chest as though she was testing if it was still there. When she answered her voice sounded so small and insecure. It hadn't sounded like that in a long time. Jayne didn't like it one bit.

"I have these dreams." River took a deep breath. "These strange dreams I don't understand… these flashes that she can't explain. I know she is trying to tell me something, but she doesn't know how. I listen, I do… I try… but she's talking in riddles!"

Jayne's hand came down to push the hair out of her face.

"You think that ruttin´ thing is playing you?" he asked roughly.

River shook her head, cuddling up to his huge frame even more.

"She is not. But she wants to convey something to me, something significant about the sword and the dagger and something else of great importance and for some reason she cannot come out and say it." She took a deep breath while he waited for her to elaborate.

"She's not alive. She is artificial. It's as though she doesn't know how to impart this information to me. She is not bound to our logic… and I don't understand…"

"But you had those kinda flashes before, hadn't you?"

River swallowed hard in an effort not to cry. She didn't want to worry him, but right now a part of her needed to be weak. Right now that part needed to be cared for, needed to be sheltered and safe. And as long as she could think back, the walking contradiction that was Jayne Cobb was the only one who had ever made her feel just that. Safe.

"Yes, but not like that. Not this vivid. I close my eyes and suddenly I see. I saw the concubine's tattoo when Book told us about the legend; I saw it clear as day, Jayne! The two dragons intertwined, playing ……chasing after a ball of fire."

Jayne furrowed his brow, leaning his cheek against the top of her head, one hand stroking River's back soothingly until he felt the shivering subside. He could tell that all this was making her very upset and that unsettled him. He had gotten so used to her being so strong. He had almost forgotten that there had been a time when… he smiled grimly. Nah… even when River hadn't been all there… she had always been strong. Even back then.

"I dreamt of her." River continued slowly, realising how just being near him, his strength was calming her nerves. "I dreamt of how they came to kill her. It felt so real, as though I was watching it from afar."

"You sure this ain't just some weird coincidence?"

River shook her head again. " I'm sure. She… the other thing, she's trying to tell me something. I don't understand it and… that scares me."

Jayne chuckled, cupping her cheek with his free hand. "Aw… c'mon. It's a ruttin' dream, sparrow. It can't hurt ya." The mercenary hooked one finger under her chin to make her look up at him, even though he could barely make out her features in the darkness of his cabin. "You're the smart one, River. The ruttin' genius!"

"But what if…" River reached up to take the hand that was holding her chin up. She felt the reassuring hardness of his fingers, the calluses of a man who worked with weapons. River closed her hand around his fingers before she gave voice to her deepest fear.  
"I'm so afraid that I'm losing my mind again!"

Jayne cocked an eyebrow at her, chewing over her words for a moment. "Listen to me, River Tam!" he said, his voice taking on that very serious note he seldom used, his face grim. "Listen gorram well to what I'm gonna tell you now! I can see this got you ruttin' scared and I wish I could do sumthin' bout all this. Gotta say, most of the time I ain´t got no clue what's going on in that brilliant mind of yours. I may not have your kinds of smarts. But the one gorram thing I know, is that whatever those idiots at that academy- that I'll sure as hell burn down if we ever come across it- did to you; you conquered it. You made your peace with that murderous thing inside your head. What's more, you made it your ally, your own. You were stronger than all that gorram stuff. That's how I know that you're not gonna go all crazy on me again. My girl ain´t gonna let a few weird dreams take her down. You hear me?"

He could feel her nod her head where it rested in the crock of his neck.

"Good! Cause I know you'll figure it out with that gorram bright brain of yours. So what if ya don't understand that thing right now? In time you'll figure things out. You always do."

"How can you be so sure?"

Jayne shrugged, sliding back into a lying position, pulling the upper part of her body onto his chest. " Figured me out in no time, didn't ya?" he asked with a smile.

River couldn't help but laugh at that. Jayne grinned to himself. He was definitely getting better with that gorram 'feeling' stuff. Of course he'd never admit it and if anyone dared to imply that Jayne Cobb had softened somewhat due to the tiny slip of a girl snuggling up to him, he'd rip them a new one. Still… he couldn't help but feel good about having managed to comfort her.

"You'll be fine."

"Really?"

"Gorrammit, girl! Would I lie to you?"

"Well ……" Malcolm Reynolds took another deep breath, staring at the ceiling. "I'd say that was ……"

"Yes… it was…" Even if Inara had wanted to, she wouldn't be able to wipe the smile off her face for even a second. She rolled onto her side, propping herself up on one elbow in order to better look at the man who was lying next to her on his back.

"Looks like we had a real breakthrough in our relationship back there, wouldn't you say?" Malcolm Reynolds asked, rolling his head to the side to look at her. Inara let the breath she hadn't even realized holding out in an almost inaudible sigh. For a moment, just looking at him lying there had seemed too surreal to be true. An overwhelmingly big part of her had feared that after the fog of passion and need had cleared, they would end up right where they had started. That nothing would have changed, that he'd retract back into his hard shell, maybe even be embarrassed… Maybe even ask himself if anything she'd done or felt had been overshadowed by her profession.

Inara allowed herself to smile at him, not the schooled smile of the companion, but her own vulnerable smile. "Several, you might even say…" she answered huskily.

Mal grinned at that. He tried not to think of how complicated things were about to get, how _not_-smooth things were bound to go now. He didn't want to think of that now. But did things really had to get complicated?

He narrowed his eyes, taking her in. She truly was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life. In the golden light of the candles her perfectly smooth skin seemed to glow from the inside, her bedazzling eyes never leaving his face. And she had given him an out, a way to not make things complicated….

"So back there… what you said, you know… before…"

"About how no one can know?" she asked, arching her perfectly sculptured eyebrows.

"Yeah… ´bout that." Mal turned onto his side too, propping himself up on his elbow to mirror her position. "You know that might not be such a bad idea, to keep this to ourselves until…"

"…until we figured out where this is going?" Inara completed the sentence as Mal simultaneously reached out a hand to weave his free hand into her shimmering tresses.

"That's where I was going with that."

"I know, that's why I told you that no one should know to begin with."

"Good thinkin'!"

"'Cause you're bound to mess this up if you thought people knew!" Inara added.

"I would not…" The companion arched both eyebrows at him until he frowned. As much as he hated to admit it, Inara might have a point there. Mal decided to forgo the discussion about that for now.

"So… while we figure this all out… We can still keep doing… this, right?" He let one of his hands playfully slide upwards on the warm skin of her thigh. Inara watched him interestedly.

"I think our relationship might profit from a few more breakthroughs," she answered mischievously, her eyes following the path of Mal's hand.

"Shiny!"

"You are planning to steal it, aren't you?"

Mal didn't even look up at her question, mesmerized by the circles his fingers were drawing on Inara's thigh.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"The set… the two dragon blades."

"That is the job," he affirmed. Then something came to his attention, something he remembered from the schematics of the security system and an even wider grin spread on his handsome features. "Oh… this is too good! You almost made me forget…"

"I take that as a compliment!" Inara said, studying his face. The flickering light of the candles painted moving shadows on his face, but his eyes were all for her.

"Please do."

Inara nodded, letting her fingers wander over one of his broad shoulders. "You know where they are, don't you? The sword and dagger… of course you do."

"So do you, Wash told me you already set a course for Thalia."

"Yeah… but the schematics of the security system… of that whole building!" Malcolm Reynolds let himself fall back onto his back, laughing out loud. " Oh… this is too rich!"

Inara attentively put one hand on his chest, scooting closer until she leaned over him. "The house of blossoms on Thalia… the motherhouse of the Companion guild," she whispered.

"You can get in there, can't you?" Mal asked, his hands closing behind her back.

"You want me to help you steal two objects from our motherhouse that the guild looks upon almost like a reliquary?"

Mal stared up at her beautiful face, taking in the wondrous fact that he was in fact there… in her bed… with Inara in all her striking glory leaning over him and against his chest. And suddenly, as though that reality had just sunk in, Malcolm Reynolds was lost for words.

Inara gazed back into his eyes as a seductive smile came to her lips. "Well… before you think about how I can help you and the crew steal from the guild, why don't we see what you can do for me first?"

River pressed one hand to her forehead in an attempt to concentrate. She tried to focus on her breathing. Pulling her legs up to her chest, she rested her forehead on her knees. She tried to push all conscious thought to the back of her mind, calling out to the other thing.

Waiting…

"You are… tense…" it whispered and River could feel its cold fingers pushing her hair back from her face. She lifted her head. They were sitting on the bridge in the Japanese park.

"The dream…." she said, looking into her own, dark eyes, her own… but there was no warmth. On the other thing her features were devoid of any emotion. "It was dream, wasn't it? Not a vision, not a memory… I cannot remember things I have never seen."

The other thing nodded. "You dreamt, little sister, but you dreamt it… as it has happened."

"How can that be? How can you know that?"

It shrugged. "I do. We do… we just know… even if we do not know where the source of this knowledge lies."

"Why did I see that?" River asked, staring into the other thing's soulless eyes.

"What is it you are trying to tell me?"

It leaned in, putting its cold, cold hands around River's face very gently, kissing her on the forehead. Then it leaned even closer to whisper into River's ear. "Look closer, little sister. See with her eyes… not yours!"

"I don't understand!" But even as she said it River could feel her focus, her point of view shifting as the dream started to replay in front of her inner eye.

River gasped, suddenly thrown down onto the wooden floor of a wide terrace. Blinding pain shoot through her as she lay on her side, struggling for breath. Something was stuck in her side ….the dagger's hilt sticking out of her body, wrenched in between her two lowest ribs. She could hear laughter; see men's boots walking past her… still she struggled for breath.

She closed her eyes for a moment, preparing for the effort, the pain to come. Then forced her body to sit up, turning her head to follow her enemy's movements. She curled her hand around the dagger's hilt, feeling the dragon's shape under her skin. She bit her lip to keep from crying out as she violently pulled the dagger from her flesh. There was the salty taste of blood on her lips; she could taste it in her mouth. She could feel it running through the fingers she pressed onto the wound.

"See with her eyes, little sister…"

River looked up, finally understanding what it was she was meant to see.

On the broad back of the lacquered armour of her attacker was a painted image of a blue sun, rising against a dark horizon.


	6. Two by Two

_DISCLAIMER_: Same old, same old… 

_Notes:_ …Ahh Ebonezer! You were right! I read it again and I'm really sorry! I guess I got carried away! That's what I got from watching too much DEADWOOD!!!!

Thanks to all you who still read and review!

Thanks to my lovely beta!

**_TWO BY TWO_**

_Alliance Space Station Hanover_

"General…"

The broad-shouldered man, who had spent the last hour standing in front of a giant computer-screen going through various reports and pictures from the cortex, turned around with an impatient glare.

"Yes, Conroy?" Even though his hair and moustache were showing the first streaks of grey, the man himself didn't look a day older than forty. His features held a stern, concentrated expression.

"We have analyzed the data we were able to salvage from Mr. Niska's vessel."

The young officer cringed inwardly at the annoyed look the general gave him. He had been working for General Haylan for two years as a personal secretary, but only lately had he found this duty wearing on him. Ever since the allusive Mr. Niska had contacted the general with a very short, enigmatic message that had his commanding officer travelling at top speed from the core halfway across the galaxy. Only to find Niska and several of his men dead, the inside of the vessel looking like a barbarian horde had marched right through it and the ship's computer destroyed. The mysterious package that the general had hastened to collect on Hades, willing to pay a king's ransom for it, had not been found either.

'Till this day Conroy had not the slightest idea what this "package" might have been. Since that day general Haylan had been in a very bad mood, striving to find out what or who was responsible for the incident on Niska's vessel. Conroy didn't doubt for a minute that once Haylan knew who the culprits were, he'd hunt them down. Even if this task seemed to be getting more complicated by the minute.

There had hardly been any data left to retrieve from the destroyed computer core and what little they had salvaged was turning out to be completely useless. But right now, that was the last thing Conroy was worrying about. A far more pressing matter had presented itself just minutes ago and the implications of this matter made Conroy want to hide under his desk. Never in his life had he thought that a few strands of hair could have such an impact…

"I want that report on my screen in fifteen minutes!" The general snapped, already turning away again. Conroy cleared his throat nervously, looking over his shoulder.

"Sir …"

"That will be all for now, Conroy."

The officer could feel cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Sir, I hate to disturb your work, but … there is something else."

Out of the corner of his eye Haylan saw his assistant throw a nervous glance over his shoulder… again. It irritated him, especially since Conroy had done that three times in the last five minutes.

"What is it?" Haylan barked in annoyance.

"Sir ….the hairs we analyzed, the hair we found on Niska's body…"

"Yes? Didn't we go through this already? I thought the DNA was not in the criminal or military database…."

Conroy took a deep breath, steadying himself. "It wasn't, sir… but… Apparently something else came up."

The general gave him another impatient glare, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Stop stammering, Conroy and speak sense, man!"

"When we sent the data of the tested DNA through the cortex for comparison it sent up a red flag…."

Conroy could tell from the expression on Haylan's face that the general didn't like what he was hearing. "That's impossible! How can that DNA be red flagged if it's not even in our database?"

"She is in ours, general…" Haylan turned around at the smooth, cold voice answering his question. His narrowed eyes went over the two tall, thin men in dark grey suits who had appeared behind him without making the slightest sound. One of them was a little taller and more haggard than the other, with pale blue eyes that never flinched from the general's haughty gaze.

"Ahh..." Haylan nodded with irritation, scowling at the two newcomers. "That explains some of the problems we've been having gathering information, I guess."

He gave them a nod, holding out one arm to show them the way into his private office.  
Once the door had closed behind them, Haylan sat down behind his desk, waiting. He knew better than to offer them a handshake. Both men wore blue gloves over their hands, neatly folding their arms in front of their bodies.

"Can I offer you any refreshments?" Haylan asked.

"Thank you, general, but all we will be needing is your help in tracking something down that we have lost."

"And what would that be?" Haylan couldn't really say he had an interest in helping Alliance's secret police, but on the other hand their lost " property" and his lost " package" seemed to be somehow connected. As far as he could assess the situation, this might be his best lead.

The second man still didn't talk, he simply handed his taller companion a white envelope.

The envelope contained only one thing; a simple headshot of a young girl in her late teens.  
Haylan studied the picture being pushed towards him across his desk by one blue-gloved hand with mild interest.

The girl seemed to stare right into the camera with something close to horrified fascination. She was pale, her hair in slight disarray and there were dark rings under her eyes that made her skin look almost translucent. Haylan couldn't shake the impression that it wasn't a girl staring back at him on the photograph, but a ghost. "When did you loose her?"

"Almost a year ago. We came very close to taking her into custody a few months back on Ariel, but she escaped and until now she seemed to have vanished. We were very glad when her DNA turned up again."

Haylan looked up from the picture, arching an eyebrow at his two guests. So this girl had eluded this secret police almost for a year… interesting indeed. He leaned back in his chair, looking the two agents up and down. They weren't really agents of the secret police; he knew that the moment his eyes had fallen on their blue-gloved hands. Theirs was a sub-branch; the disturbing, spine-chilling kind that nobody liked to think about.

They might wear the uniforms and the insignia of the secret police all day long, if they wanted to, but it would not fool him.

"And you still want her back? Alive, I presume?" He didn't really care why they wanted to get their spidery hands on that girl, but he was ready to venture a guess. Whatever they had done to her before this picture was taken, it did not look very healthy.

They both smiled at Haylan. It didn't even look amicable; it didn't look like anything at all in fact: a simple movement of muscles without even a hint of feeling. Haylan returned the smile, just as fake as theirs. As long as tracking down this girl would enhance his chances on tracking down the woman that had dared to turn him down… Haylan didn't care if they intended to dissect this girl alive in front of him.

The first man nodded, still smiling. "Of course. She is one of ours and we need her back… alive."


	7. Flow

DISCLAIMER:  Right...been there, done that …Y´all know

NOTES: So here is the little Post – Thesis Fluff I allowed myself to write! Sorry it doesn't really move the plot along …but I'm sure I know some girls (hello group!) who might appreciate it!! It's just an interlude anyway!

Also sorry to miss beta Miss Malfoy whom I did not mail due to thesis annoyance and can't mail now thanks to ….

My parent's computer won't let me log on to aol, so I cannot answer the Jaynegroup mail …soooo there's a lot of bouncy bunnies and I'll do my best to get to all of them!

Thank you Tory for the great vids! Thank you Wen for all the positive vibes!!

IM DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bring on the bunnies!

FLOW

It felt close to floating….the sensation of coming back to herself. The transition between the real world and her mind had become so very easy, like flipping a switch, like diving into warm, soft water. Not too long ago this realization would have alarmed her, but now it was a comforting feeling and she took it as a sign of her ever growing control of her abilities.

"I still don't know what it means …."  The image of the blue sunrise on the back of a black lacquered armour still loomed in her memory. Even though she had returned to the conscious world, she could still feel the other thing's present like a cool breeze caressing her mind and its voice was like a fleeting whisper inside her head." But you understand …."

River sighed, becoming more aware of her surroundings; her own cabin, her own bed ….the feeling of cotton sheets underneath her fingers as she lay on her side.

-------------------------------------

"You look tired." River's eyes fluttered open at the sound of Jayne's growl, calling a small smile to her lips. Even when he was trying to be quiet his deep voice still rumbled in his chest.

He leaned in the doorway, arms crossed in front of his massive chest.

"Keep disappearing on me like that, middle of the night and all…."

River bit her lip; she had retreated to her own cabin in an attempt to not disturb his sleep, while she figured out what it was the other thing was trying to tell her. She hadn't thought about how it might look to him.

"I didn't mean to get you worrying." She whispered. She could see him shrug those broad shoulders, obviously struggling with himself over the decision to enter or leave.

"I'm sorry. I ….I went to see her in ….that place in my mind. I didn't want to do it while you were sleeping, after I had already disturbed you before."

Jayne scratched his head, nodding. "You look exhausted. Get some ruttin´ sleep then…"

"Don't go…." River said softly as he turned away to return to his bunk, yawning. She hadn't meant to wake him again, but she also hadn't meant to make him feel as though he was being left out or unwelcome. "You said I'd figure it out and I think I will …..I'm not entirely sure yet, but I'm getting close. You were right."

Jayne stepped inside, looking around the tiny cabin hesitantly; the room was hardly big enough for her narrow bed. "

Knew ya´ would. Didn't have to go and get it done right away though." He looked down at her until River held out one hand, looking back at him with that tiny smile and those knowing eyes.

"Come to bed …" she whispered, her hand reaching out for him. She scooted over just a little as he sat down next to her, the bed dipping under his weight.

"You alright now, Miss Tam?" 

River nodded." I think I understand her now. I'm not sure where it will lead, but it doesn't matter now."

She reached upward slowly, fully aware that his eyes were following her movements. River let her hand run over his chest until she caught a hold of his shirt and pulled him down towards her. With a low chuckle Jayne followed her lead, hovering over her in a sort of push- up position so that their bodies didn't touch. He was close enough to see her face more clearly now, even in the dark. She pushed upwards just a little, far enough to lean her forehead against his for a moment. The warmth emanating from his body made her pulse speed up, before she put her hands around his face. He hadn't gotten around shaving in two days, but she didn't mind the stubble. Jayne shook his head, giving another throaty chuckle. The reaction this tiny slip of a girl could coax from his body never ceased to amaze him. He really couldn't say why that was ….because she was just that, just a girl.

His breath came out in little puffs while his face split into his familiar, feral grin. "

Got me unhinged like no one in the whole gorram´ verse ever could …."

River answered with a husky laugh, right before her mouth covered his lower lip, lightly nipping until his mouth opened to her. Her slender arms slid around his neck, pulling him downwards.

"Not just yet …" he growled at her, crushing his lips unto hers again.

Jayne suppressed a groan, pulling a deep, hissing breath. His arms started shaking with the effort to stay in his position. River slid one leg from under his body, still hovering inches above hers, and let her naked foot travel upwards on the back of his thigh.

The gorram girl!

He could do a hundred push- ups easy, bench press more weight than Mal and the preacher combined and still ….then and there his arms simply would not hold him any longer.

Jayne let his left shoulder crash into the mattress. It was the only way to go if he didn't want to fall off the bed. After all he was only a man and his self- restraint was by no means endless.

River had managed to follow his movement seamlessly, as though she had anticipated is. Her kiss grew even more insisted, not that Jayne was complaining, but if she went on like this she'd undo him. He had just gotten dressed to find her, only to have her trying to get him out of his ruttin´ clothes again. Jayne let his hand slide down her waist and down her free leg, hooking it behind her knee. Underneath his hands she was all heat.

"Better stop your squirming, sparrow ….or this might not last." He whispered roughly into her ear as his lips moved from her jaw to her neck. River gasped, arching into him while her warm hands pushed under his shirt.

"Gorram´hell …" Jayne hissed into her ear only to be rewarded by another husky giggle.

"Figuring this out sure took a load of you shoulders, darlin´, ha?"

River stopped in the midst of the motion of trying to pull his shirt over his head, looking at him. She swallowed, breathing deep, her hands rested on his chest, over his beating heart.

After a moment she put her hands around his face again, kissing him deeply, languidly.

"That fear, to loose my mind, control over myself again was like a weight bearing down on me. Now …my heart and soul are free, the weight is gone." She answered him between kisses.

"Ah …no I get it." He told her, his thumb moving over her knee in circular motions. It was a strange thing, but he understood maybe even better than she could imagine.

"Won a battle, got away, now you wanna feel alive. I ´ve been there."

He'd been there   more than couple of times. It was the way he felt every time he got away with his life.

"Hell, sparrow, I'm not ´bout to complain!"

River laughed again, it was a sound low in her throat that sounded a lot older than she actually was. She pulled his shirt of his head in a quick, clumsy motion, throwing it onto the floor carelessly. Her fingers were busy dancing up and down his back. "Gorrammit!" Jayne jumped up and away from her quickly, as though touching her would sear his flesh. Breathing heavily he glanced around the cabin. River stared at him with a bewildered expression.

"What?"

He scowled at her.

"I just remembered who's sleeping one cabin over ….."

"What?" River repeated, completely taken by surprise.

"You brother …." He whispered harshly, trying to keep his voice down." Your gorram´ brother is right next door!"

River stared at him in complete confusion.

"Yes …..And? Since when does it bother you where Simon sleeps?"

Jayne's scowl deepened. She had to be kidding, right? Now …he was not the bashful kind, quite the opposite really, but ….

"I sure as hell don't fancy your brother bursting in here in time to see me ravaging his little sister!"

"Ravaging?" River said, raising one eyebrow.

"You know damn well what I mean …."

"Jayne…." She whispered. "….I really don't see that being a problem. If Simon would really walk in on us, he'd most likely have a stroke and drop dead where you stand."

Now it was Jayne's turn to raise an eyebrow ……that didn't sound half bad now that he thought about it! Not that he was sold on killing the doctor, but giving him the scare of his lifetime sure did have its appeal……

"Now come back here and get on with the ravaging part, because some time tonight I would like to get some sleep."

Jayne grinned at her, crawling back onto the bed.

"Oh ……you ain´t sleeping tonight Miss Tam!"


	8. Heritage

DISCLAIMER: All hail Joss, …..you own pretty much everything!

NOTES: I KNOW …it´s been forever! I just needed to take a step back to figure out where this story was leading me. It took a while to figure it out. But here is the interlude …it will lead up to lots of things. I think this might be great …if you are still willing to take the journey with me. First this……next chapter: Let´s do some sneaky crime!

Heritage

Azalee Pavillion, Helios

The woman kneeled with her back to the room, pulling her black hair up. Long, elegant fingers parted sleek strands like a dark sea. At her side two girls kneeled, one holding up a mirror, the other ready to reach over to present an assortment of delicate hair-needles with shimmering gems on one end. The woman´s back was bare, a white kimono pooling around her, framing her lithe figure as if to properly display the magnificent tattoo that covered her back: A fiery bird spreading its wings to lift itself up into the air with a cry of triumph, flames spreading from its feathers. A phoenix rising from the ashes of defeat.

Even though the approaching footsteps were soft, they rung loud and clear in the peaceful silence that surrounded the women. Without turning, the woman fastened a last strand of hair with a ruby-topped needle. "Leave us." She said, her voice cultured and even. The girls bowed their heads as they passed, and closed the door behind them without a word.

"Things have been set in motion." A male voice said into the silence, while she gathered the white silk around her, pulling it up to her shoulders before turning to the man. " Just as you wanted….. Maybe now, you will be satisfied ….."

The woman rose gracefully. Looking at him.

"I do not mistake my desire for revenge for righteousness, brother" she said with a smile.

Zy-Lin narrowed his eyes, regarding his twin with a look of fondness that was reserved for her and her alone. Sometimes looking at Mis-Lyn, he felt like looking into a mirror that showed him a softer version of himself. Though noone would dare think of his sister as weak or pliable. The demure attitude of a geisha was all but an act. You did not fight your way up to where they were, without being utterly ruthless.

On Helion Prime their house was the one that ruled the night, nothing concerning any man´s vice on this planet was out of their reach. Nothing short of the alliance was beyond their control, on this world …..

She was his partner, his twin …..his blood. She knew all his secrets, his thoughts ….was his confidant. And when she had asked him to do this thing for her, he had not hesitated. He had merely asked why. And she had smiled at him, with that indecipherable serene face so much like his own and had simply said.

"It is time …..finally, it is time."


End file.
